In This Issue:

AGPOM Welcomes New Education Partner:


AGPOM recently partnered with BOMI International (the Independent Institute for Property and Facility Management Education) to bring AGPOM members 10% savings on a variety of sustainability courses, competency-enhancing certificate programs, and industry-recognized designations.

 

With several course delivery options and a selection of programs proven to increase job performance: 

  • 98% of graduates have become more efficient as a result of their education-and add value to a company
  • 68% of graduates have experienced a decrease in monthly expenses-both individuals and employers benefit from a BOMI International education.* 
About BOMI International


 

BOMI International, a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1970, provides critical education and expertise to industry personnel with property, facility, building systems management, and sustainability responsibilities. More than 27,000 industry professionals hold one or more BOMI International designations, and over 90,000 property and facility management professionals have turned to BOMI International for their continuing education, professional development, and staff training needs.


 

Educational Offerings

 


 

 

Courses

BOMI International offers several courses that are approved by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for the LEED Credential Maintenance Program (CMP). Designed by industry leaders and subject matter experts, BOMI International's course curriculum delivers new concepts that can be applied to your job right away. All courses may also be applied to one or more of BOMI International's programs, making it easy for you to start with a course, earn a certificate, and achieve your designation.

 

Certificate Programs

BOMI International's five certificate programs help you gain recognition from employers and coworkers for your expertise in key subject areas and begin your journey toward earning a BOMI International designation.

  • Building Systems Maintenance Certificate (SMC)
  • Facilities Management Certificate (FMC)
  • High-Performance (HP) Certificate
  • Property Administrator Certificate (PAC)
  • Property Management Financial Proficiency Certificate (PMFP)

Designation Programs

BOMI International designation programs are recognized as marks of distinction and excellence throughout the property and facility management industries. Earning a designation will give you a better understanding of how to increase the value of your properties and operate your sustainable buildings and facilities at peak efficiency.

  • Facilities Management Administrator (FMA�) Designation
  • FMA|High-Performance (FMA|HP) Designation
  • Real Property Administrator (RPA�) Designation
  • RPA|High-Performance (RPA|HP) Designation
  • Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA�) Designation
  • Systems Maintenance Technician (SMT�) Designation

Course Delivery Options

As an AGPOM member, you have the option to select a study method that works best for your budget, schedule, and learning style. Choose from the following course delivery options:

  • Instructor-Led Online: 15-week interactive online course led by an expert instructor.
  • Self-Study: Convenient, self-paced course to be completed within six months.
  • Corporate Onsite Instruction: Tailored to meet the needs of an organization. **

 

Learn More and Register

Additional information regarding program requirements, course schedules, and registration is available at www.bomi.org/AGPOM.aspx, or by calling Laney Solomon, 1.800.235.BOMI (2664) x1320.

 

 * Statistics based on a recent survey of BOMI International graduates.

** Corporate Onsite Instruction is only available for groups of 10 or more. 

This month's Eco-Tip: 

 

Purchasing Holiday Gifts made from Recycled Materials from:

 

 

According to the EPA more than 2/3 of glass bottles go to landfills. 

 

Refresh Glass focuses it's efforts around a mission of rescuing 10 million bottles from the landfill. They collect over 1,000 bottles every weekday and divert them from the waste stream. 


 
The transformation process melts the rims of wine bottles at over 1500 degrees F, leading to great the smooth feel.

 

The transformed products are then stress relieved in a process called annealing 12oz and 16oz glasses available in 4 pack sets (pictured)


 

Other products made from rescued and transformed wine bottles include, vases, planters, candle holders, and more

 

Their products can also be custom etched or printed with a logo or message. Perfect as a corporate gift or for personal use!

 

More information at www.refreshglass.com

 

Understanding Your Tenant's Sustainability Needs (and How You Can Help)


by Stephen Bushnell, Stephen Bushnell + Associates
As a building owner your reasons for going green are pretty obvious; reducing expenses and improving ROI, increasing the value of your property, ensuring that your building is competitive, managing your environmental foot print and making the property more attractive to tenants. But, have you take the time to understand why your tenants want to be in a green building and how you can help them realize their green objectives?

 

Controlling the costs of energy and water are two important issues for any business. Tenants pay as much attention to this aspect of green and sustainability as do building owners. There are a variety of ways that owners and tenants share energy and water costs, many of which are spelled out in the lease or, especially for residential buildings, determined by how the building is metered. 

 

No matter how the costs are allocated both owner and tenant(s) have a vested financial interest in reducing overall energy and water use.

 

Another green practice with bottom line impacts is waste management. Recycling and reducing waste bound for landfills are key goals of many tenants. Building owners can help by making the building recycling friendly with convenient areas for recycling inside and outside the building. However, remember that many recyclables are flammable. Exterior storage and pick up sites should be away from the building so any accidental fires will be confined to the container. 


 

A growing number of cities require or incent restaurants to compost their food waste. Building owners with restaurant tenants should consider adding pest resistant compost facilities for food waste.

 

A fundamental element of LEED is the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the interior of the building. Combined with occupant friendly ventilation, reduced VOCs can result in a healthier indoor environment. Green buildings can result in improved employee health and wellbeing and reduced absenteeism. "Daylighting" is another hallmark of green buildings. Design of the interior space, wall placement, windows and full - spectrum lighting systems create more efficient and comfortable environments like AGPOM Member Douglas Emmett's lobby pictured here.

 

These features can result in one of the most significant benefits for tenants, improved employee productivity. People working in green buildings are healthier, happier, and more productive. In a recent DOE study, it was shown that worker productivity in a green building increased by 15%. In another study by The Rocky Mountain Institute, air quality improvements fostered increased productivity of up to 20% and reduced absenteeism by up to 25%.

 

Improved health is important for your residential tenants as well. Who wants to live in a poorly ventilated box full of a toxic stew when there are alternatives? Our own experience backed by several studies reveals that parents are motivated by issues impacting the health of their children.

 

Finally, many commercial and residential tenants have a strong desire to make the world a greener place. Whether driven by personal values or corporate sustainability programs, tenants take a very big step to realize this goal by leasing green space.


 
Supporting your tenants as they green their space is a win for both of you. Taking a little time to understand their plans and how you can support them goes a long way to realizing your green and sustainable goals. 


How can a building owner help their tenants behave in a green way? EPA's Energy Star offers some great ideas for tenant engagement on energy issues. See below.

Eight Great Strategies to Engage Tenants

1.  Be transparent and open. Share your energy efficiency goals and real time building performance with tenants.

 

2.  Share information on the mutual benefits of your green programs with your tenants. Consider a "Tenant Benefits Letter" and ask them to share their energy data. See the Commercial and Corporate Real Estate Benchmarking Starter Kit on www.energystar.gov for more.

 

3.  Raise awareness and educate tenants. Share how they contribute to the building's energy performance and specific steps and actions they can take to reduce their energy consumption.

 

4.  Assess how your tenants currently use their space and help them identify opportunities for improvements Work with them to develop a plan or a checklist so they know what they can work to improve.

 

5.  Reach out to your tenants and empower them to take an active role in improving the efficiency of their building. Collectively establish performance goals for the building (consider a joint tenant/owner/management council). Encourage new ideas and respond, and if feasible, act on the recommendations.

 

6.  Incentivize tenant behavior (food, cash prizes, recognition).

 

7.  In multi-tenant buildings host a competition to build camaraderie in a shared, focused effort, harness people's competitive spirit, have some fun and generate savings for everyone.

 

8.  Communicate. Create a plan, develop posters and other marketing collateral, send regular newsletters with tips, reminders and updates and (most important) celebrate success.

The same ideas can be used to support tenants as they act to reduce water use, manage waste and improve the indoor air quality of their space. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________
 


 

Stephen Bushnell is the founder and principal of Stephen Bushnell + Associates, a consulting firm focused on the enterprise risk management aspects of green buildings and sustainable practices. 


 

Steve also sits on the Board of the US Green Building Council.

 

 

Introducing AGPOM's Newest Green Property Behavioral Plans for Tenants

 
  

AGPOM is committed to helping our members with their sustainability efforts and that means supporting you with tools to offer your tenants to easily improve their sustainability. Not only does this help lower expenses as addressed in the article above, it also can risk factors for your property.

 

One of the ways we can help you begin your efforts of promoting environmental-friendly pursuits with your tenants is through our new Green Tenant Behavioral Plans. Now in addition to our Green Property Behavioral Plans we have created tenant plans for Multifamily Tenants, Office Building Tenants and Retail Tenants!

 

Many are under the false impression that Greening your property must entail a high-cost, labor intensive initiative that ties up resources for long periods of time. There are thousands of owners, managers and tenants that are avoiding Green investment. 

 The AGPOM Green Tenant Plans are designed for newcomers to the green movement that want to get started, as well as sustainability veterans interested in leveraging the benefits of AGPOM membership


We simplify the process for your tenants by outlining specific behavioral changes that will increase their sustainability efforts without causing burdensome interruptions to everyday business or involve significant capital investments on your part.


As AGPOM Members when you commit to the guidelines of the property plans, you are granted Level II Membership status making you eligible for the following:


For more information and benefits of "Greening Your Property" go to: www.AGPOM.org/greeningyourproperty 

You are receiving this newsletter as part of your AGPOM Membership available through your commercial property insurance
 purchase with Fulcrum Insurance Programs or because 
you are a partner of Fulcrum Insurance Programs. 

AGPOM MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE:
Although active member participation with AGPOM is not mandatory, continuing to receive and review AGPOM correspondence, including this newsletter is required as part of your insurance package. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.